We are pleased to announce that we have a new Bishop! The Right Reverend Nicholas Hudson was installed as the Bishop of Plymouth at the Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Boniface, Plymouth, on the Patronal Feast Day of St Cuthbert Mayne, Saturday 29 November 2025.
In his Installation homily, Bishop Hudson reflected on the martyrdom of St Cuthbert Mayne, who ascended the scaffold in Launceston 448 years ago (or, according to some sources, the following day). He described how St Cuthbert Mayne had been found in possession of two forbidden objects: a papal bull like the one brought to us this day by the Apostolic Nuncio; the other, an Agnus Dei – the Agnus Dei being a wax image of the Lamb of God which Fr Cuthbert bore around his neck. Bishop Hudson said that St Cuthbert Mayne was the first martyr to have been trained in Douai, across the water in France, and that he had chosen to return from Douai to keep alive the faith of Catholics in Cornwall.
The bishop spoke of how St Cuthbert Mayne had heard the Lord’s call to feed the lambs, to feed the sheep, to look after the sheep; and come. Passing, by day, as a steward, by night Fr Cuthbert would don the vestments of a priest to feed the flock with the sacraments. Bishop Hudson explained that this would have been impossible without the courageous help of nobleman Francis Tregian, who allowed Fr Cuthbert to work out of his house at Probus in Cornwall; and to travel across his estates. Tregian paid the price of life imprisonment and the seizure of all his estates; Fr Cuthbert the price of death by hanging, drawing and quartering.
Extract from Bishop Nicholas Hudson installed as the new Bishop of Plymouth – Catholic Bishops’ Conference
